Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Future of the Blog
I do hope to add pictures to illustrate each chapter of the blog at some point in the near future so I invite you to check back again in a couple of weeks....Buen Camino de Vida, mis amigos!
Finisterre (The End of The Earth)
Wednesday, October 22, will be a travelling day on the bus to Santiago, where we board the train for Madrid and our departure, early the next morning, for home. It is our hope to see many friends in church on Sunday, but before we do, an explanation is required....
After 700 kilometers of sometimes treacherous adventure, it took a run to the bus and an uneven sidewalk to trip our beloved Linda. Down she went, face first, smashed into the pavement with the added weight of her backpack. A day in the hospital and excellent care has returned her to us in vibrant assortments of reds and purples. We have talked her into accompanying us to church on Sunday and have assured her you will be kind in your remarks and acceptance.
It has been the tradition for many pilgrims over the centuries to go on from Santiago to the remote ocean-fishing community of Finisterre, believed by the Celtic people to be the ¨end of the earth¨. Thanks to the autobus, we have been able to uphold this tradition, as well as the traditions of burning one´s clothes (I finally found something to do with the horrid $50 sportsbra!) and running naked into the sea - a kind of baptism into a new life.
I am very proud that I was able to complete the physical challenge of walking the entire Camino with my backpack and I am very proud that I did it my way.....every step in my hiking skirt. What the hell was I thinking?????.....I was thinking that I needed to put a little bit of heaven into my life. I am so grateful for such an amazing experience and such a fun group of chicas with whom to remember always, this incredible journey!
After 700 kilometers of sometimes treacherous adventure, it took a run to the bus and an uneven sidewalk to trip our beloved Linda. Down she went, face first, smashed into the pavement with the added weight of her backpack. A day in the hospital and excellent care has returned her to us in vibrant assortments of reds and purples. We have talked her into accompanying us to church on Sunday and have assured her you will be kind in your remarks and acceptance.
It has been the tradition for many pilgrims over the centuries to go on from Santiago to the remote ocean-fishing community of Finisterre, believed by the Celtic people to be the ¨end of the earth¨. Thanks to the autobus, we have been able to uphold this tradition, as well as the traditions of burning one´s clothes (I finally found something to do with the horrid $50 sportsbra!) and running naked into the sea - a kind of baptism into a new life.
I am very proud that I was able to complete the physical challenge of walking the entire Camino with my backpack and I am very proud that I did it my way.....every step in my hiking skirt. What the hell was I thinking?????.....I was thinking that I needed to put a little bit of heaven into my life. I am so grateful for such an amazing experience and such a fun group of chicas with whom to remember always, this incredible journey!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Arco do Pino to Santiago 18K ??? Day 31
YEAH!!!! We have arrived and are celebrating in Santiago......stay tuned....we are on a holiday for a few days!! Hasta Luego!!!!
This celebratory day of reaching the destination of our pilgrimage, the Cathedral of Santiago, I dedicate to my hero and life-mentor, my father, because of his strength of character, determination, unwavering work ethic, common sense, abundant capabilities, and his desire to always see a job through to completion (all admirable characteristics for any pilgrimage and especially the Camino of Life). I enjoyed walking with Dad this summer in preparation for this trip because it gave us alone time together...thanks Dad and I love you!
The community of the Camino has reminded me of the sense of community I was lucky enough to experience growing up on our family farm. It was so much fun working together on projects. Each person had their job all of which contributed to the final goal. I loved that team approach to life and the feeling of reaching the goal.
This last day of the Camino has been no less challenging than many of our other days, with many steep ascents and a never-ending walk in and through the city to our final destination. Coming around the last corner into the Cathedral Plaza, we chicas all linked hands and closed our eyes so that the first vision of the Cathedral of St. James could be shared simultaneously. Other pilgrims watched us and understood as we beheld one of the great European monuments from both an artistic and symbolic standpoint. This cathedral is considered the third most holy place in the world.
The highlight of Santiago was the Pilgrim Mass on Sunday with standing room only, its music, and the sense of welcome and significance we experienced as pilgrims from the priest. Celebrating eucharist together was like ¨the heavenly banquet prepared for us¨. Later, outside on the sunny steps by the fountain, the mass reunion of pilgrims from the past 30 plus days was not unlike a highschool graduation where everyone embraces, remembering all they have shared, and bids farewell as new lives begin.
In truth, I found the cathedral amazing and awesome, but in the end less significant than the power of the Camino itself. For me, the Divine presence was found on the Path in the most beautiful cathedral of all....our world. What a gift our Earth is to us and what a gift we are to each other. May we, as pilgrims, renew our efforts to respect and care for each other and our world. ¨The Kingdom of God is found among you.¨
This celebratory day of reaching the destination of our pilgrimage, the Cathedral of Santiago, I dedicate to my hero and life-mentor, my father, because of his strength of character, determination, unwavering work ethic, common sense, abundant capabilities, and his desire to always see a job through to completion (all admirable characteristics for any pilgrimage and especially the Camino of Life). I enjoyed walking with Dad this summer in preparation for this trip because it gave us alone time together...thanks Dad and I love you!
The community of the Camino has reminded me of the sense of community I was lucky enough to experience growing up on our family farm. It was so much fun working together on projects. Each person had their job all of which contributed to the final goal. I loved that team approach to life and the feeling of reaching the goal.
This last day of the Camino has been no less challenging than many of our other days, with many steep ascents and a never-ending walk in and through the city to our final destination. Coming around the last corner into the Cathedral Plaza, we chicas all linked hands and closed our eyes so that the first vision of the Cathedral of St. James could be shared simultaneously. Other pilgrims watched us and understood as we beheld one of the great European monuments from both an artistic and symbolic standpoint. This cathedral is considered the third most holy place in the world.
The highlight of Santiago was the Pilgrim Mass on Sunday with standing room only, its music, and the sense of welcome and significance we experienced as pilgrims from the priest. Celebrating eucharist together was like ¨the heavenly banquet prepared for us¨. Later, outside on the sunny steps by the fountain, the mass reunion of pilgrims from the past 30 plus days was not unlike a highschool graduation where everyone embraces, remembering all they have shared, and bids farewell as new lives begin.
In truth, I found the cathedral amazing and awesome, but in the end less significant than the power of the Camino itself. For me, the Divine presence was found on the Path in the most beautiful cathedral of all....our world. What a gift our Earth is to us and what a gift we are to each other. May we, as pilgrims, renew our efforts to respect and care for each other and our world. ¨The Kingdom of God is found among you.¨
Friday, October 17, 2008
Rabadisco de Baixo to Arca de Pino 22K Day 30
For the past two days I have been fighting this incredible urge to run all the way to Santiago. I have charged up ascents, marched on the flat, and felt invigorated, strong and confident about reaching the final goal of Santiago de Compostela. In fact one Frenchman said, ¨A demain!¨as I breezed by him. However, today is a different story....I have realized that this day is our last normal walking day and I want to savour everything: the aroma of the eucalyptus leaves as I rip them open; the carpet of fuzzy chestnut encasements that feel so soft under my boots; the crunch of the rich, brown chestnuts as I step on them; the beauty of the canopied path as it filters the light; the ancient moss-covered rock walls; the sing-song of the birds; the sounds of Elizabeth talking to the dogs, sheep, trees, stones, and chestnuts which has made my soul smile more than anything else on the trip; the embrace of Mother Earth as we walk between her dirt walls; and the sight of that line of chicas hiking with me.
As we approached Salceda today, we spotted this woman in an orange jacket frantically waving her hands and eventually we recognized Marilyn. We didn´t recognize her at first because she was so slim and trim! What a celebratory reunion we had - vino, a cornicopia of ´carne´grilled over an open fire, and shared stories. We are finally eating like the Spanish in the middle of the afternoon! Marilyn, under the direction of two doctors because of foot difficulties, was ordered to walk no more than 20K per day and to use the ´mochilas´taxi to transport her backpack each day. She has couragously been travelling on her own and with Camino friends she has met along the way. We are so happy to have you back with us, Marilyn!
There are all sorts of pilgrims along the Way right now and we had heard via
´The Camino Radio´ lol about this German Marching Crew and we had even spotted them, dressed in yellow coats and parading single file around a corner, pounding their hiking sticks in rhythm, footwork in tact. Shortly after lunch today, we stumbled across this comical group. Influenced slightly by the vino from lunch, Elizabeth and I quickly joined their ranks, the pounding of the hiking poles and marching footwork instantly mastered. Everything was running smoothly until we dubbed this group the seven dwarves and burst out singing ¨Hi Ho Hi Ho Off to Work We Go¨ in rhythm to the sticks, followed by a burst of giggles and another round of the song ¨Hi Ho Hi Ho We´re on the Camino We´re off to Santiago Hi Ho Hi Ho¨. Needless to say they were not all that impressed.
To finish today, I have a message for my daughter, Alyssa. Dearest Alyssa: I first heard about the Camino from you. You came home so excited about discovering the Camino and promptly told me you were walking it....I thought you were ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! Thank you for sharing your dream with me, thank you for letting me be a part of your dream, and thank you for all your help in making this dream a reality for me. I am so proud to have you as a daughter. I admire your strength, your determination, your sharp intellect, your amazing athletic and musical talent, and your ability to laugh. You surround yourself with an amazing group of friends who reflect who you are and that makes me proud as well. I have carried your chosen rocks all this way and I want you to know that tomorrow I will place them on the trail before I reach the summit where I will first view the Cathedral of St. James. I leave them there because the Camino is YOUR dream and YOU will be the pilgrim who picks up those rocks that I leave on this ancient path and YOU will be the one to carry them to Santiago. Buen Camino, my dear dear friend! Follow your dreams.
As we approached Salceda today, we spotted this woman in an orange jacket frantically waving her hands and eventually we recognized Marilyn. We didn´t recognize her at first because she was so slim and trim! What a celebratory reunion we had - vino, a cornicopia of ´carne´grilled over an open fire, and shared stories. We are finally eating like the Spanish in the middle of the afternoon! Marilyn, under the direction of two doctors because of foot difficulties, was ordered to walk no more than 20K per day and to use the ´mochilas´taxi to transport her backpack each day. She has couragously been travelling on her own and with Camino friends she has met along the way. We are so happy to have you back with us, Marilyn!
There are all sorts of pilgrims along the Way right now and we had heard via
´The Camino Radio´ lol about this German Marching Crew and we had even spotted them, dressed in yellow coats and parading single file around a corner, pounding their hiking sticks in rhythm, footwork in tact. Shortly after lunch today, we stumbled across this comical group. Influenced slightly by the vino from lunch, Elizabeth and I quickly joined their ranks, the pounding of the hiking poles and marching footwork instantly mastered. Everything was running smoothly until we dubbed this group the seven dwarves and burst out singing ¨Hi Ho Hi Ho Off to Work We Go¨ in rhythm to the sticks, followed by a burst of giggles and another round of the song ¨Hi Ho Hi Ho We´re on the Camino We´re off to Santiago Hi Ho Hi Ho¨. Needless to say they were not all that impressed.
To finish today, I have a message for my daughter, Alyssa. Dearest Alyssa: I first heard about the Camino from you. You came home so excited about discovering the Camino and promptly told me you were walking it....I thought you were ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! Thank you for sharing your dream with me, thank you for letting me be a part of your dream, and thank you for all your help in making this dream a reality for me. I am so proud to have you as a daughter. I admire your strength, your determination, your sharp intellect, your amazing athletic and musical talent, and your ability to laugh. You surround yourself with an amazing group of friends who reflect who you are and that makes me proud as well. I have carried your chosen rocks all this way and I want you to know that tomorrow I will place them on the trail before I reach the summit where I will first view the Cathedral of St. James. I leave them there because the Camino is YOUR dream and YOU will be the pilgrim who picks up those rocks that I leave on this ancient path and YOU will be the one to carry them to Santiago. Buen Camino, my dear dear friend! Follow your dreams.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Palai de Rei to Rabadiso de Baixo 26K Day 29
Well, much to our surprise, in Spain it does not only rain on the plain. We did start out under rainy conditions, but soon found this delightful albergue where we had our morning cafe con leche. This place was a little piece of heaven with its cozy atmosphere, delightful owner, great cafe con leche, fellow pilgrims that we knew and Ave Maria playing. Needless to say, we prolonged our visit just a little....
It was so much fun to walk in the rain and I was reminded of a time when I was in grade four at this one-room schoolhouse. It started teaming rain during the noonhour. All the other children went rushing into the school, but I had my raincoat on and persuaded my girlfriend, who was also dressed for rain, to stay outside and play on the swings. We came in at the appropriate time and I was dumbfounded as to why our teacher was so upset with us. Why was playing in the rain such a problem? I wonder to this day why we demand that children come in out of the rain. Why do we rob them of an opportunity to have so much fun? Well today I had permission to play, laugh, and sing in the rain and I LOVED IT! I even sloshed around in the mud and loved that! (Maybe I COULD be a rugby player, Geoff!)
The last 100K of our journey is very different as we now have a whole new set of pilgrims.....the tour groups and van supported groups. It´s challenging to accept all these new faces into the Camino Community and it´s hard not to have negative thoughts of their Camino as their backpacks are loaded into the vans, they don´t walk all that far during the day, and they still hobble around at night. But why should I think my way of walking the Camino is the right way? Each one needs to walk the Camino in their own way.
Therese sends special greetings to her grandchildren.....Amelie and Lea and Elizabeth joins in sending love to Andrea and Guillermo and now baby Allison and brand new grandniece.....Kenedi Marlene.
It was so much fun to walk in the rain and I was reminded of a time when I was in grade four at this one-room schoolhouse. It started teaming rain during the noonhour. All the other children went rushing into the school, but I had my raincoat on and persuaded my girlfriend, who was also dressed for rain, to stay outside and play on the swings. We came in at the appropriate time and I was dumbfounded as to why our teacher was so upset with us. Why was playing in the rain such a problem? I wonder to this day why we demand that children come in out of the rain. Why do we rob them of an opportunity to have so much fun? Well today I had permission to play, laugh, and sing in the rain and I LOVED IT! I even sloshed around in the mud and loved that! (Maybe I COULD be a rugby player, Geoff!)
The last 100K of our journey is very different as we now have a whole new set of pilgrims.....the tour groups and van supported groups. It´s challenging to accept all these new faces into the Camino Community and it´s hard not to have negative thoughts of their Camino as their backpacks are loaded into the vans, they don´t walk all that far during the day, and they still hobble around at night. But why should I think my way of walking the Camino is the right way? Each one needs to walk the Camino in their own way.
Therese sends special greetings to her grandchildren.....Amelie and Lea and Elizabeth joins in sending love to Andrea and Guillermo and now baby Allison and brand new grandniece.....Kenedi Marlene.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sarria to Palas do Rei 47.5 K Day 27&28
When I sat down to write the blog last night, I was uninspired and thought that other than our celebration of reaching the last 100K marker (which was a lot of fun with our community circle ceremony), the day was really just blah, blah, blah, more of the same.
As we approach our ´home´destination of Santiago, I am starting to think of my home and ´visions of soaking in my hot tub dance in my head´! While roses line the Camino trail and at times actually seem to spring forth from the concrete itself, producing the most amazing blooms (which by the way I do stop and smell, trying to live in the moment, life on the Camino is not always a bed of roses. ¨Vamos¨.....here´s my one and only RANT!!
Firstly, there´s the ´Pilgrim Meal´. Do you know that they serve french fries with every one of the same six selections they offer from Pamplona to Santiago? Last night I actually escaped from the Pilgrim Menu and tried to get eggs; I had two choices: fried-egg pizza or an egg on my hamburger (I chose the later, which by the way was delicious.) I have now given up one Pilgrim Menu selection, Galician Soup, after Monica found what we believe to be a tooth in her last bowl! I have eaten enough Chorizo to give me a life-time supply of sodium nitrate and I am surprised I can still have a bowel movement at all after all the white, crusty bread I have eaten. HOWEVER the great feature of the Pilgrim Menu is the all-you-can-drink red wine, which has been my life-line because of problem number two........sleeping in the albergues.
Although now used to ´discreting´ stripping down in front of men of all ages (sometimes I do question the ¨O yes, we are all pilgrims philosophy¨), the real question is how does one discretly get out of those hiking sports bras that have no give whatsoever! I think my biggest risk of injury comes from trying to manouver in and out of this contraption without separating my shoulder! What the hell was I thinking.....I could have bought the UnderArmour one for the same price!
The chorus of snoring and coughing starts long before I´m asleep. Not to fear, I´m ready for this with my endless supply of earplugs. I figure if I throw enough on my bed, I´ll be able to grab one without really waking up in the night.....reminiscent of how I approached Geoff and his night-time soother problem! BUT the biggest fear of all is the bedbugs. Having brought the recommended -10 degree sleeping bag (What planet was that lady living on?), I cannot even zip it up which leaves me very vulnerable to the bedbugs! I only sleep on the top bunk because I am afraid the little creatures will drop on me from the mattress above if I sleep on the bottom. PRAISE BE for my orange silk pajamas and the silk liner Therese loaned me! She has yet to be bitten and she claims it is because she sleeps with her mouth open and eats the bugs for protein! So, to protect myself, I lie huddled in my cocoon of silk, afraid to stick a leg or hand out, and bathed in sweat from the down sleeping bag below me.....ladies, this makes hot flashes seem like a welcome relief! However, I think my best strategy for dealing with the bedbugs is sleeping close to Monica because they really like her!
Then there is the shower problem.....the sinking realization that I have now let the shower run for three minutes and all hopes of hot water have been dashed! I am still attempting to shave my legs and have to balance precariously (sorry I can´t get spell check to work) on one leg, in an exceptionally small space, and rake this horrid, hollow-handled razor across my leg, all the time trying not to touching the walls of the shower because I am sure they have some disease on them, which in turn reminds me that yes I forgot to get that Hepatitus booster shot after Guatemala!
I challenge Rick Mercer to beat this for a rant, but here is the real kicker folks! What would I change??.....not a single solitary thing....the laughs have been so worth it and the gratitude I feel for the simple things like hot water, toliet paper, and great cafe con leche is all-consuming when it happens.
Three more big walking days left.....I can feel the finish line and it feels exhilerating.....WALK CHICAS WALK!
As we approach our ´home´destination of Santiago, I am starting to think of my home and ´visions of soaking in my hot tub dance in my head´! While roses line the Camino trail and at times actually seem to spring forth from the concrete itself, producing the most amazing blooms (which by the way I do stop and smell, trying to live in the moment, life on the Camino is not always a bed of roses. ¨Vamos¨.....here´s my one and only RANT!!
Firstly, there´s the ´Pilgrim Meal´. Do you know that they serve french fries with every one of the same six selections they offer from Pamplona to Santiago? Last night I actually escaped from the Pilgrim Menu and tried to get eggs; I had two choices: fried-egg pizza or an egg on my hamburger (I chose the later, which by the way was delicious.) I have now given up one Pilgrim Menu selection, Galician Soup, after Monica found what we believe to be a tooth in her last bowl! I have eaten enough Chorizo to give me a life-time supply of sodium nitrate and I am surprised I can still have a bowel movement at all after all the white, crusty bread I have eaten. HOWEVER the great feature of the Pilgrim Menu is the all-you-can-drink red wine, which has been my life-line because of problem number two........sleeping in the albergues.
Although now used to ´discreting´ stripping down in front of men of all ages (sometimes I do question the ¨O yes, we are all pilgrims philosophy¨), the real question is how does one discretly get out of those hiking sports bras that have no give whatsoever! I think my biggest risk of injury comes from trying to manouver in and out of this contraption without separating my shoulder! What the hell was I thinking.....I could have bought the UnderArmour one for the same price!
The chorus of snoring and coughing starts long before I´m asleep. Not to fear, I´m ready for this with my endless supply of earplugs. I figure if I throw enough on my bed, I´ll be able to grab one without really waking up in the night.....reminiscent of how I approached Geoff and his night-time soother problem! BUT the biggest fear of all is the bedbugs. Having brought the recommended -10 degree sleeping bag (What planet was that lady living on?), I cannot even zip it up which leaves me very vulnerable to the bedbugs! I only sleep on the top bunk because I am afraid the little creatures will drop on me from the mattress above if I sleep on the bottom. PRAISE BE for my orange silk pajamas and the silk liner Therese loaned me! She has yet to be bitten and she claims it is because she sleeps with her mouth open and eats the bugs for protein! So, to protect myself, I lie huddled in my cocoon of silk, afraid to stick a leg or hand out, and bathed in sweat from the down sleeping bag below me.....ladies, this makes hot flashes seem like a welcome relief! However, I think my best strategy for dealing with the bedbugs is sleeping close to Monica because they really like her!
Then there is the shower problem.....the sinking realization that I have now let the shower run for three minutes and all hopes of hot water have been dashed! I am still attempting to shave my legs and have to balance precariously (sorry I can´t get spell check to work) on one leg, in an exceptionally small space, and rake this horrid, hollow-handled razor across my leg, all the time trying not to touching the walls of the shower because I am sure they have some disease on them, which in turn reminds me that yes I forgot to get that Hepatitus booster shot after Guatemala!
I challenge Rick Mercer to beat this for a rant, but here is the real kicker folks! What would I change??.....not a single solitary thing....the laughs have been so worth it and the gratitude I feel for the simple things like hot water, toliet paper, and great cafe con leche is all-consuming when it happens.
Three more big walking days left.....I can feel the finish line and it feels exhilerating.....WALK CHICAS WALK!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
